prePEP: Decimal data type

[Mel Wilson]

In article <mailman.295.1067625441.702.python-list at python.org>,
"Batista, Facundo" <FBatista at uniFON.com.ar> wrote:
>When passing floating point to the constructor, what should happen?
>
>    j. ``Decimal(1.1) == Decimal('1.1')``
>    k. ``Decimal(1.1) ==
>DecimFl('110000000000000008881784197001252...e-51')``

I've been playing with an implementation, and I'm trying out

        def __init__ (value=0, exponent=0, places=None):
...

Under the hood there's a decimal-floating-point implementation,
using long for the radix and integer (or long) for the exponent.

To get 11:
        d = Decimal (11)

To get 1.1 exactly:
        d = Decimal (11, -1)

To get 1.1 from a float:
        f = 1.1
        d = Decimal (f, 0, 1)  # take float value to 1 decimal place

        d = Decimal (1.1)  # gets `places` from pre-set context


        Regards.        Mel.